GUY MARTIN

[RICHARD GREEN 2Participant @richardgreen2]

Did anyone see Guy Martin on Channel 4 last night doing the "wall of death" record breaking speed attempt ?

That Indian motorbike sounded lovely !!!

Richard.

[RICHARD GREEN 2Participant @richardgreen2]

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Yes Richard but the BSA engined bike got the record.

Emgee

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I was more impressed that Shanese got her push bike to stay up on the wall, though its not much different to some of the berms on a BMX track.

[Mike LightfootParticipant @mikelightfoot72419]

Hi, I watched with some interest having read that guy was going to use a rob north framed bike, now I heard him say it was bsa based but has anyone recorded it or can check on I player because I believe it was a trident engine and not a rocket 3 or have I lost the plot completeley? Cheers and well done all concerned 30 tons of wood!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Mike,

For the sake of pedantry, I must mention that BSA made the Trident engines [at least the early ones] … I watched them doing it.

Not sure if the programme is available on the Channel 4 equivalent of iPlayer.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: Try here

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/03/2016 19:51:10

[Anonymous]

Not a lot of diiference between the two other than the angle they're mounted in a standard machine is there?. Can't see him beng wrong about the the "make" as it's the only non custom part of the bike

[Mike LightfootParticipant @mikelightfoot72419]

Ok I know it was the bsa triumph group but I have a t160 and if you own one or the oth there is a difference and I think it was a triumph engine, different shaped gear box cover amongst the more obvious things so I just wondered what anyone else thought, cheers

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

Posted by Mike Lightfoot on 29/03/2016 19:39:23:

Hi, I watched with some interest having read that guy was going to use a rob north framed bike, now I heard him say it was bsa based but has anyone recorded it or can check on I player because I believe it was a trident engine and not a rocket 3 or have I lost the plot completeley? Cheers and well done all concerned 30 tons of wood!

According to the MCN web site it's a Rob North Framed 750cc BSA Triple.

Mike..

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Mike Lightfoot on 29/03/2016 19:55:34:

Ok I know it was the bsa triumph group but I have a t160 and if you own one or the oth there is a difference and I think it was a triumph engine, different shaped gear box cover amongst the more obvious things so I just wondered what anyone else thought, cheers

.

Mike,

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest otherwise … I was just suggesting a plausible reason for confusion.

MichaelG.

[Mike LightfootParticipant @mikelightfoot72419]

Michael sorry didn't mean to sound grumpy I just wondered if anyone else noticed

[john bennett 1Participant @johnbennett1]

I always thought that the BSA triple was a rocket 3,my friends brother had one when i had a suzuki GT 250.i coveted it.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by john bennett 1 on 29/03/2016 20:47:14:

I always thought that the BSA triple was a rocket 3 …

.

John,

Yes it was … but the Triumph engine was also assembled at the BSA factory.

MichaelG.

[WatfordParticipant @watford]

Apart from the mechanicals, about which there seems some debate, Guy Martin was pretty good too.

Brave but mad !

Mike

[steveteeParticipant @stevetee]

From my recolection there was very little difference between the Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3 engines. The BSA engine had the cylinders leaning forwards slightly while the Triumph engine had vertical cylinders. The engine case covers were slightly different to emphasize the Oval casings of the BSA or the triangular timing case of the Triumph engine. To further confuse matters the X75 and T160 Triumph models were fitted with BSA type (leaning bore) engines, because they were deemed to look better. Other than that they were pretty similar.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

The engine in Guys bike had the cylinders sloping forward which was a BSA feature until T160 Triumph came along in 1975. It certainly had aTriumph timing and gearbox cover but these were interchangeable and as the engine had been raced by Guys father I think the Triumph covers gave better accessibility for racing. The T160 had a different head to the BSA and this motor had a BSA type head so I think without a shadow of doubt this is a BSA rocket three motor with Triumph gearbox and timing covers, the T160 was also electric start which sat beneath the carbs and was one of the reasons the cylinders were tilted forward apart from the styling improvement. By the time the T160 arrived the Beezumph racing heyday was over so I doubt that many T160 engines were raced. The X75 Hurricane was Rocket three engine but had different finning to the standard head.

Mike

Edited By Michael Poole on 29/03/2016 21:33:00

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Looking at the National Motorcycle Museums display of triples today it occurred to me why some of the Rocket Three engines are fitted with Triumph gearbox covers, the Rocket Three never had a five speed gearbox as the R3 was dropped in 1972 which was the year the five speed was fitted to the T150 making it the T150V. Swapping the BSA inner and outer covers would enable the five speed parts from the Triumph to be used.

Mike

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

The Triumph Trident sounded like the F1 BRM.

Neighbour had one, and Brother and I would sprint to the window to see what was making that lovely noise the first time it came past.

Geoff – Sounded far far better compared with my CB350

[Cyril BonnettParticipant @cyrilbonnett24790]

Here's a clip of his record attempt

**LINK**

and a bit about the triples.

**LINK**

I had both a yamaha XS 750 and 850 triple, both shaft drive and really nice to ride, the 850 especially, took two of us on many adventures both in the UK and across Europe. It's a pity that the British motorcycle industry stayed in the past.

[Marcus BowmanParticipant @marcusbowman28936]

Didn't BSA own Triumph at that time, which would technically make both engines BSA.

It was a great programme, although stretched out a bit. But it held the interest of myself and my 25 year old daughter who still remembers, vividly, being taken to a real Wall of Death when she was around 5 years old (at Flook airfield, at the Cumbria Steam rally). I recall being taken to a Wall of Death at a visiting fair, by my Dad when I was in my early teens. Unforgettable.

And yes; the cyclist's performance was most impressive.

Marcus

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

Posted by Cyril Bonnett on 04/04/2016 22:22:35:

I had both a yamaha XS 750

I covered many a happy mile on one – no, actually two … of those also!
Ahhh….

Diane

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

Posted by Marcus Bowman on 04/04/2016 23:03:54:

Didn't BSA own Triumph at that time, which would technically make both engines BSA.

It was a great programme, although stretched out a bit. But it held the interest of myself and my 25 year old daughter who still remembers, vividly, being taken to a real Wall of Death when she was around 5 years old (at Flook airfield, at the Cumbria Steam rally). I recall being taken to a Wall of Death at a visiting fair, by my Dad when I was in my early teens. Unforgettable.

And yes; the cyclist's performance was most impressive.

Marcus

They still come to Flookburgh rally (and one or two others) but it's always on the 'to do' list at Flookburgh. Saturday night….

Diane

[Roger Williams 2Participant @rogerwilliams2]

Hello all, my daughter has met him twice at the TT, and said what a lovely bloke he is to talk to.

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

A real person on TV for a change

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Michael Poole on 03/04/2016 21:11:13:

…the Rocket Three never had a five speed gearbox as the R3 was dropped in 1972 which was the year the five speed was fitted to the T150 making it the T150V. ..

Except for the US market BSA A75V Rocket Three model that had the five-speed tranny to homologate it for racing in the USofA, in 1971-2. Those lucky blighters got the A70 as well, an A65 650 twin punched out to 750cc for the same purpose. But I think the number of each made was only a few hundred each, just enough to qualify for "production" bike racing.

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